The Tribute From District Two
by PatronusGirl101
Summary: Clove's life in fifteen bitter-sweet chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: A Baby Girl **

Twenty-one year old Nim Jackinson was lying in a hospital bed. The sweat glommed down her face and the end of the Ed was stained with blood.

"Congratulations, it's a baby girl," the nurse said to Nim handing her a small baby wrapped in a bright pink blanket. The baby opened her eyes and stared at her mother. Nim looked down on her baby's small head covered with brown fuzz for hair. The baby's bright green eyes roamed the hospital room. Just then, a young man entered the room. He had a blue uniform on and his hands were covered with dirt.

He was out of breath, "I...I tried to leave... Nim, I'm sorry... I tried to come earlier. I missed it? I missed my own daughter's birth?"

He crouched by the bed and cupped his wife's head in his hand. She brought her hand to his and had the baby in the other arm, "It's okay, Tatum. I know your work I hard and demanding. Your here now... That's all that matters."

Tatum kissed Nim gently and then got up and tried to rub the dirt of his hands with the sink near in the room. He went back over toward the bed and pulled one of the turquoise colored chairs over toward his family. Nim handed their baby over to Tatum and he took her with loving and soft hands. He held the baby with her feet toward his stomach and her head was in his hands. The baby girl looked up at her father and gave him a toothless smile. He smiled back as a tear ran his face.

He looked over at Nim-who was already smile at Tatum-and said, "She's beautiful."

"She needs a name," muttered Nim.

Tatum nodded and brought the baby close to his chest and gave her a tight hug.

"What about... Clove?" Nim said.

Tatum smiled, "Hello, Clove."

"Daddy! Daddy!" A two year old Clove squealed as she saw her dad was home.

"Hi princess," Tatum said picking up Clove after she ran toward him. His hands were still dirty from working with masonry all day. He winced picking her up. Even though she was the smallest two year old, his back had pains and aches from lifting stone all day long.

Nim came from the small house. She was wearing a blue summer dress with a white gray apron that had flour all over it. Tatum kissed his wife and then her daughter's forehead.

"Dinner's in five minutes, okay? Go help daddy wash up, Clove," Nim joked.

"Come on Daddy!" Clove pulled her father's hand back toward the house. Clove had a light pink skirt on and a white shirt that was covered with mud.

"And what have you been doing all day, little missy?" Tatum asked his daughter as they both scrubbed their hands over the bathroom sink.

"I played in the mud daddy! Like a…cow?" She looked up at her dad.

"You mean a little piggy? Oink oink!" Tatum said. Clove giggled. He dried his hands and then Cloves. He crouched down on one knee so he was eye level with his daughter. Tatum took a lock of Cloves dark brown hair in between his fingers. "I love you, Clove."

Clove flung her arms around her dad, "I love _you_, Daddy."

"Come on; let's go eat dinner, okay?" Tatum said.

Tatum clasped hands with Clove and walked into the tiny kitchen. Nim had the food laid out on the table. There was a lot of bread, but only a few pieces of meat and some apples. The three people sat down at the table and began to eat their food.

"Did we get more bread?" Tatum asked Nim.

Nim nodded, "The Capitol came by the market."

Ever since the rebellion, the Capitol has been gracious to this District partly because District didn't really rebel; only a few did, and those few never returned, so the rest of District 2 stayed and backed off. The Capitol would bring them perks, like extra bread.

"So they lowered the age limit to start the t-r-a-i-n-i-n-g for the G-a-m-e-s," Tatum said, spelling out certain words so Clove wouldn't hear.

Nim raised her eyebrows, "What's the limit?"

"E-i-g-h-t," Tatum muttered.

"Eight? They except eight year olds to go into a gymnasium and throw swords at each other and make fires?"

"Nim, maybe we should do this later," Tatum replied glancing at Clove, who was playing with her pieces of bread.

"I'm two!" Clove chimed in.

"Yes, you are! You're not eight, you're two. Tell mommy to calm down!" Tatum playfully told his daughter.

Clove put a half pout half glare face on and looked at Nim, "You need to calm down mommy!" Then she broke out into a series of giggles.

Soon enough, Tatum and Nim broke out into laughter as well. Nim couldn't stand to think of her baby going into those Games, but-of course-everyone had to be in the Reaping. She went through seven years of Reapings herself, so she knows her daughter would be strong enough to get through it. Nim shook the thought away for the moment, it wasn't important right now.

A/N: Hola readers of fanfiction. This is my first chapter in my first story on this site, so I'd enjoy it very much if you would drop some words in the review box. I hoped you like the first chapter... I plan for their to be 15 chapters at the moment, and I promise there will be so much fluff once Cato comes into this picture. (Clato is probably my OTP). That's all, thanks for reading! xxx


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: My Mother**

"Tatum, this cannot happen! She has a year left. Only a year left of a normal little girl life! Then they'll put her in the Center. I can't imagine her in there! She just…she can't…"

Tatum put his arms around his wife, "Nim, everything will be okay. Just because she's going into the Center, doesn't mean she got Reaped. She'll always be our baby girl and we still get to see her every day after she trains."

What the parents didn't know was that Clove was listening to their conversation. She was supposed to be in bed, but she had snuck out and had been listening.

"I just can't take it, Tatum," Nim whispered.

"Take what?" Tatum asked.

"THEM! Them controlling our lives! I'm going to go tell them what I think," Nim stated harshly.

"No, Nim, please," Tatum tried to stop her, but she was already out the door.

Clove followed her mother and father out the front door still in her pajamas. She saw her mother run towards the mayor's house. She saw her mother shouting at the Peacekeepers guarding the tall black bricked house. She tried to get through them, but of course they were too strong.

"You are all monsters!" Nim yelled at them.

Tatum tried to grab her by the waist and pull her away from them, but it was no use. When Nim is mad or angry, you do not mess with her.

"Step back," one of the Peacekeepers said.

"I will not step back! I will never step back as long as you are putting children into something so violent and terrible!" Nim was shouting again.

All of a sudden, the second Peacekeeper was holding Nim from the arms and the other had the end of the gun pointed at her. The first Peacekeeper jabbed the butt of the gun at Nim's head. Nim wasn't entire knocked out by this, but her ear had started to bleed with every jab to the face. She was now on her knees and her head was hanging toward the ground. The second Peacekeeper was still holding her in an arm lock.

By this time, Tatum had tried to intervene, but other Peacekeepers had come and were now holding him and Clove back. Clove had tears running down her face, but had stayed silent, because she knew if she spoke out, the Peacekeepers could snap her like a twig.

Mayor Smash was now quickly approaching the Peacekeepers that held Nim down.

"What is this madness happening outside my home! Some people are trying to sleep!" He shouted. The small crowd of people that had formed were now swooshed away by the Peacekeepers holding down Clove and Tatum. Tatum was pleading to the mayor, but Mayor Smash just waved his hand and the Peacekeeper holding down Tatum covered his mouth so no one could hear him.

"You son of a b-" Nim started to say but was silenced by another jab of the gun.

"What was that, my dear?" Mayor Smash asked her.

"You… are going to hell," Nim muttered.

Clove couldn't process what was happening. The next thing was so surreal to her. With a simple wave of his hand, Mayor Smash had ordered the Peacekeeper holding the gun to shoot Nim. The Peacekeeper held the gun to Nim's head. Clove tried to scream, but her throat was too dry and she couldn't get any words out.

Clove's eyes were fixed on her mother, who was looking right back at her.

"Stay strong, Clove."

And with those last words, Clove heard the sound of the gun firing and her mother was gone.

The Peacekeepers finally let Tatum and Clove go. The two fell to the ground where the dead woman now laid. Her eyes were still opened, but the life had vanished from them.

Clove leaned over her dead mother and cried, for what felt like hours. Tatum just sat there, rubbing Clove's back and pushing the hair out of Nim's dead face.

After a while, Clove said, "We should close her eyes."

Tatum nodded and he softly laid his fingers over his wife's dead eyes and closed her eyelids. Clove fell into his arms and wept for an hour before Tatum carried her away from her mother's body.

Clove didn't sleep that night. She was lying in her dirty pajamas now. He head on her pillow and he heart in her stomach. Her mother was dead. One of her favorite people in her life, one of the closest people in her life was gone, just like that. With one shot in the dark, black night her mother was dead.

Clove looked over at the clock at the wall. It was four in the morning. She crept out of her room-starting for the kitchen. She heard the clinking of bottles rolling on the kitchen floor. She leaned over the edge of the wall and saw her father, bottle in hand, sitting against the oven. She took big gulps of alcohol after every few minutes. He got up then and stumbled toward the ice box filled with more bottles of scotch and whiskey.

Clove came out from behind the wall, "Daddy?"

He turned at the sound of her voice, "Well, hello!"

"Daddy, are you okay?" Clove asked.

"I'm fine! I'm just peachy. My wife didn't just die or anything at all like that."

"I think you should just sit down," Clove whispered.

He took a seat in the chair at the end of the table. Clove started to pick up the bottles on the ground. She went for the ones in her father's hand but he smacked her hand, "Don't! I need them."

"You don't need to drink because of mommy."

"It… It makes it hurt less," Tatum said.

"Daddy, please," Clove whispered. She tried to take the half-drunken bottle again, but he shoved her to the floor. Clove started to cry silently and backed up toward the corner of the kitchen. She hugged her small knees as tears ran down her tiny cheeks. She sat there for another three hours, watching her father drink away then finally, at around sunrise, passed out on the kitchen table.

She got up and made sure he was completely out then took all the knives from the drawer in the kitchen. She had decided if the Peacekeepers or that bastard of a mayor would come back, she'd be ready for them. She went out the back door and went to the edge of the forest that had always been forbidden to go into. She stepped into the forest; it wasn't that scary. It was actually pretty in the daylight.

She walked through the forest until she could no longer see the back of her house or any of the neighboring houses. She stepped up to one of the giant oak trees that was about two feet wide and about fifty feet high. Clove etched a target into the side of the tree. The outer ring the biggest, and then two more rings inside that ring, both smaller than the first.

Then she stepped back about twenty feet in front of the target and took the smallest knife she had taken and held it close by her head in her right hand. She swelled up all the anger she had toward the Peacekeepers and the mayor and the Capitol and she threw. The knife twirled through the air and landed stuck into the tree. Clove took a few more steps toward the tree and noticed the knife had landed in between the outside and the middle ring.

She then returned twenty feet away from the tree and threw all the knifes in her hand and then again and again. She threw until the sun set that night. She went to bed that night knowing she could take on anyone-including the Capitol-who ever tried to hurt her family.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: **

**The Center**

Eight year old Clove stepped into a giant gymnasium. She was wearing a jet black uniform with an electric blue stripe down the side. Other older children were already training in the Center. They were older then her, around fifteen and fourteen. Most were paired up and fighting each other. They were wearing vests over their uniforms so if any one got hit by the flying swords, knives, or spears, they wouldn't be seriously hurt. Clove's eyes went wide, was she supposed to do this; to participate in this? How could anyone think of children doing this?

"Ah, welcome children," a man said jogging up to the group Clove had entered with.

"My name is Asa. I'll be your trainer for the next ten years. Yup, you're stuck with me for another decade," Asa chuckled.

He was a tall, pale skinned man with black hair and a small goatee on his chin. He had on a black uniform like Clove's and the other children's, but instead of a blue stripe, his was lime green.

"If all the eight year olds would follow me please," he said.

The newest additions to the centers followed him through the giant gym and into a smaller empty one. All along the walls of this gym held swords, spears, knives, shields, bows, and different sized weights. Clove's eyes drifted toward all the knives hanging in pretty and perfect little rows. She glanced at the other kids around her. The others were taking in the sight as well. Some whispered to each other but others just stood silently like she was.

"Everyone line up, shortest to tallest," Asa demanded.

The children didn't hesitate to do so. Clove was at the very beginning of the line, due to the fact she was the shortest. She looked to her left, where everyone was standing shoulder to shoulder beside her. There were only a handful of girls in this particular group of eight year olds. Clove counted seven from the two ends of the lines. The other twenty-one were boys.

"I will assign everyone a training partner. This will be your training partner until you all move up a level. So when you're nine, you will have a different partner. Then when you're ten, and so on and so on. Another note, just because you're this persons training partner, doesn't mean you have to like the person or be friends with them for that matter."

Clove smiled a bit at this part of Asa's speech. She wasn't good at making friends and she didn't really enjoy being around other people, so this would be easy for her.

"Now I'll pair you up for the year," Asa said.

He started to walk around-eyeing all the children. Then he would say, "You go with that one," or "You and you."

Finally, there were three girls left and one boy. Asa went up to one of the girls, "You... And this one." He gestured to the other girl beside Clove. The two girls smiled at each other then went and started to test out the tools like the other groups were.

Asa walked over to Clove, "What's your name?"

"Clove, sir," Clove said sharply.

"Since there are no more people in the class, looks like you'll be with him, over there. Is that okay?"

"Yes, sir."

Asa smiled. He motioned for the boy to come over to Clove. The boy had mousy brown hair and dark brown eyes. He was head taller than Clove, but she didn't mind. He shoved his hand her way and said, "Caleb."

She took it with a good grip, "Clove."

After shaking hands, Asa left the two to start admiring the toys hanging on the wall. Clove walked over to the sharp knives. She picked up the smallest one and held it in her hand. This would be her weapon. If she were to be forced to do this-fight with other children-she'd be remembered for these beautiful metals. She twisted the knife in her hand and felt the cold blade at the tips of her fingers.

"Knives," she heard someone say begin her. It was the boy who was her training partner. "Those would be my specialty sweetheart. You can just give that here and I'll show you how it's done. Clove's face flushed with anger as she handed the small knife to the mousy haired boy.

He smirked and step in line with the target. He held the knife close to his ear for a second then wound up and released the knife. It flew toward the target with amazing speed. The target was punctured on the second ring. Caleb turned toward Clove, "You're turn honey."

Clove glared at the boy and then took the biggest knife off the shelf. The blade alone was as long as her forearm and she could barely get her hand over the handle. She lugged the heavy knife up to line up with the target, like Caleb did. She then aimed as much as she could and with all her strength, she hurled the knife into the target. She followed the knife until the tip of it was square in the middle of the target. It was poked into the target, so it just hung there. Clove turned to Caleb, "Call me sweetheart one more time and that target will be your face."

She turned her back on an awestruck Caleb and went to get water from the end of the gym. Asa came up to Clove as she was sipping water from the bottles laid out for all the children.

"That was impressive," Asa confessed.

Clove shrugged.

"Where did you learn to do that?"

Clove sighed, "When my mom died."

"I said where not when, and to add to that, how did you learn that."

Clove stared at the trainer, "I learned it at my house, after my mother was killed by Peacekeepers. I didn't want anything to happen to my father, so I promised myself if they ever come back for me or my dad, I would take them all down. The only thing in the house that was there were knifes, so I threw them."

Asa raised his eyebrows, "You thought you could take down Peacekeepers?"

"I know I can take down Peacekeepers."

Asa chuckled, "No offense, but I highly doubt that."

Now it was Clove's turn to raise her eyebrows, "Whatever."

Asa got up then, "If everyone would please gather."

All the children came running toward Asa and Clove. Asa spoke to all, "Now we will fight. Everyone-with their partners-will pick one weapon and get a vest. Then, everyone will get across from their partners and on my count, will fight. Since it's only your first day, I don't expect you to do much, but if you have an open shot, I would like you to take it. Don't really hurt your partner-that's why we have the vests-just lightly jab."

Clove smiled over at Caleb, who was white as a ghost. The other kids started to get vests, but Clove went over to the weapons and got one of the knifes-this one a medium sized. Then, as all the other kids came to get weapons, Clove backed up toward the vests and put one on. She snapped the buckles together, not expecting the vest to weigh this much. It was at least an extra ten pounds to carry while fighting. She walked over to where Caleb was standing, sword in hand. Other kids grouped up around them each partner facing each other waiting for Asa's command.

"And, fight."

Before Caleb could even swing his sword back, Clove had him on the ground with the knife at his throat.

"One slit and you'd be dead my friend," Clove whispered to Caleb.

Clove got up and then turned to Asa and said, "Can I go again?"

But before Asa could answer, Caleb had grabbed Clove's hair and swung her around. She turned and was faced with the end of Caleb's sword. She smirked at it, "Wow, what a pretty sword... Too bad it's in the hands of a cheap shot jackass."

"You know you're on the bad end of this situation, right sweetheart?" Caleb smeared.

With that word, Clove had kicked Caleb's hand and drawn her knife. As Caleb went for his sword with his right hand, Clove cut a gash in his left. He fell to the ground, clutching his bleeding arm.

Clove then turned to the other kids, "Anyone else wanna take a cheap shot when my back's turned?"

The children shook their wads furiously.

Asa put a hand on Clove's shoulder, "Come with me," he muttered quietly.

Clove turned with Asa, listening to Caleb cry about his arm.

"You won't be with us anymore, Clove. I'd like to ask one of the other trainers to take you on. Not that I don't like you, but you're too... talented for this age group," Asa explained-picking his words wisely.

Clove nodded, "Will they be nine...ten?"

"More like fourteen and fifteen."

Clove smiled, this would be fun.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four:**

**The Pretty Boy**

Fourteen year old Clove took the knife out of her partner's vest sharply, "Two for me, none for you. Want to go three out of five?"

The sixteen year old, taller, stronger girl got up, her blonde hair all messed up from falling on the floor twice already. Her brown eyes glared at Clove as she took her spot across from Clove.

"One more time," the girl muttered. She took a sharp step towards Clove and true to kick her neck, but Clove was too fast for her. Clove took the girls kicking foot and twisted it sideways, so the blonde girl almost fell, but caught herself. Clove took her knife out and poked the girls inner leg ever so softly.

"Three out of five," Clove whispered and twisted the girls foot a little more, causing her to fall face first on the floor of the Center.

"You little bit-" the blonde girl started but was cut off.

"Abigail! Playing nicely, are we?" A bigger, muscular boy with blue eyes came up to the girl on the floor and helped her up.

"I'm Cato," the boy said to Clove.

Clove didn't say anything back to him, but just watched as he escorted Abigail off to the side of the gym. Clove stared down at her knifes, one in each hand. She felt the cold blade with her thumbs and then went over to one of the targets that was shaped like a person. She lined up with them and took a breath in, then out. Suddenly, her green eyes that were closed, flashed opened and she threw both knifes at the target. The first knife hit the target square in the head, while the other, square in the chest. Clove smirked at herself, then went to retrieve the knifes.

"Wow. I will not be messing with you anytime soon," Cato said, coming up to Clove.

"Good," Clove muttered back.

Cato watched as Clove lined back up with the target. She took another breath in with her eyes closed then exhaled and then flashed her eyes open. He threw the knifes and this time, one landed on one shoulder and the other, the other shoulder.

Cato's eyes widened, but then he smirked, "Betcha can't do it with your eyes closed."

Clove's mouth dropped a bit an Cato continued, "What? Never been challenged before?"

Clove glare at the boy and line back up with the target one again. She took a breath in with her eyes closed and said, "Name two places on the body."

She didn't hear a response at first, but then Cato said, "The middle finger and the stomach."

Clove smirked, then put one knife in her right hand. She pictured the body target and then zoomed in on the middle finger of the left hand. She kept her eyes closed and threw the first knife, she didn't open her eyes after she heard the THUNK it made hitting the target, but she heard Cato muttered, "Damn," user his breath.

She smiled to herself and then pictured the target one more, then zoomed toward the stomach. She put her second knife in her hand then with a simple flick of her wrist, threw the knife at the stomach. She opened her eyes and saw two knifes wedged within the target. One directly in the middle of the stomach and one directly on the knuckle of the middle finger on the left hand. She folded her arms across her chest and smiled at Cato.

Cato turned his back on Clove, but then turned one more time, "I didn't catch your name."

Clove retrieved her knifes, and turned to Cato. This was the first time she notice how blue his eyes were. They were a warm blue color-if blue could be warm.

"Clove," she said to Cato.

Cato nodded and then turned and walked over to Abigail.

Clove threw her knifes for another hour or so. She never hit anything except what she was focusing on.

Clove was napping during her free hour for the day. She had her while body out from under the covers with no blanket over her. Her black boots were still on and so was the jacket part of her uniform.

She tried to sleep, but was interrupted by pounding on the wall to the right of her. She sat up and put her ear up to the wall. She heard a soft moaning of someone in the next room.

"Oh..." Clove heard.

She got up from her bed. She needed sleep and this was the only time to during the training day.

She walked out of her room and knocked on the door in the next room. She knocked twice more before getting annoyed. She pressed her ear to the door this time and heard the bed inside squeaking and shaking.

'They aren't...' Clove thought she didn't hear right, so she knocked twice more, still not answer.

Clove opened the door and stormed in. She looked towards the bed, he theory was right. "Some people are trying to sleep! Why don't you two just-" she started, but stopped. She was yelling at Cato and Abigail. Cato was on top of her and Clove noticed Abigail had no shirt on-and probably no pants. Cato was shirtless as well and, when interrupted, he turned and looked at Clove.

"Oh... Hello...umm...want to join?" Cato asked.

Abigail slapped his arm and Clove scoffed at his offer. She turned and walked out of the room. Cato, who was now struggling to get boxers on, ran after her.

"Wait, Clove ...wait!" Cato said.

Clove went stiff as Cato put a hand on her shoulder.

"What do you want?" She sneered and torn her shoulder out from his arm.

"Are you going to tell?" he asked.

Clove thought for a moment, and then said, "What I can't believe is that I catch you guys screwing around and all you ask is if I want to join?"

Cato was silent. He stared at the ground. Now looking back on the situation, he realized he was wrong. He said, "I'm sorry. I panicked; no one's caught us before and I don't want the trainers to know."

"Cause they'll kick you out," Clove said.

Cato nodded and then, without another word returned to the room. Clive went back to her room and fell asleep, but not before she heard Abigail say, "She's such a little bother. She's probably just jealous...Probably end up crazy just like her insane mother."

Clove was mad first. Her, jealous? Of Abigail and Cato? Please.

But then, Clove felt saddened. She hadn't talked to anyone about her mother since she died. She hadn't talked to her dad either. Ever since she died, Clove's dad was so distant from her. He drank all day and at night, if all the alcohol was gone, he'd just sit there like a rock and stare at Nim's picture. He wouldn't even talk to Clove about anything. He's all bottled up and Clove was scared one day he would break.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five:**

**The 74****th**** Reaping of District 2**

"Dad, I'm going to go now. Do you remember what day it is?" Clove asked.

"Hmm," Tatum replied, half-drunk and half-passed out.

"Dad... It's Reaping Day."

Clove left the house, but before looked back on her father sprawled out on the couch, an empty bottle lying on his chest.

"Bye, daddy," then after a pause, "Love you..." Clove said.

Every year District 2's Reaping Day fell on the first Monday of April. This year, it's on April 2nd... Just two days before Clove's sixteenth birthday.

Clove-with her only spring dress on-walked along with the other kids toward the front of the mayor's house. Other districts had town centers they met at, but Clove's district only had the mayor's house. Everyone else just didn't meet up. She walked along the side of the road in front of other kids.

Clove looked down on the road she was walking on. Her yellow spring dress was swaying in the breeze of the nice day. Her hair was up in a high bun on top of her head and a few pieces hanging down on the side of her freckled face. With every step, her thigh felt the cold blade of the knife she had attached with a Velcro strap-just in case.

She got closer and closer to the bug screen set up by the Capitol. There were even more Peacekeepers then normal today and the had their guns hanging on their shoulders or around their backs. She lined up with the other fifteen year olds and stared straight ahead. She heard a small whimper coming from somewhere near her. She turned around once and found the source of the sound. A small boy, even skinnier than Clove, was crying. He had on a nice green polo collared shirt on and khaki pants. She tied to ignore the sound, but she couldn't help but see herself in the tiny boy. This is what she had been her first year, except he's crying on the outside and her tears were silent and inside her. After two minute of waiting in line listening to the boy cry, she kneeled down on one knee and put her hands on the boy's shoulders.

"Hey... Um..." Clove wasn't good at this soothing thing, and she knew it.

"Listen, it's not so bad. It's going to be okay. Okay?" She was trying.

The little boy nodded his head and wiped his nose with the back of his hand.

"What's your name?" Clove asked.

"Roman," he muttered.

"Roman... It's gonna be fine, you'll be fine. Most of the time, older kids like me volunteer, so if you get picked, someone will probably do the same."

Clove's line started to move forward. She gave a small squeeze to the boys shoulders and then slightly pushed him toward the little kid line on the other side of her.

After everyone was inside the circle of Peacekeepers, the Reaping started. Clove zoned out during the first part of the Reaping; she'd heard it about seven times already and practically had it memorized.

All of a sudden, a lady wearing a bright orange dress and hot pink tights tapped the microphone a few times. Her finger nails were long and purple. Her lips were lined with the same color orange of her dress. Clove smirked; the lady looked absolutely ridiculous to her.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let it begin. Girls first, as always," the lady said with a smile a little too big. She stuck her hand into the giant bowl filled with all the girls' names in District 2. Her hand hesitated for a moment then dove into the pile of names.

She pulled a piece of paper and Clove's heartbeat grew louder and louder. The lady reproached the microphone, "Clove Jackinson."

Clove drew in a breath. Her heart raced and her hands were shaking slightly. She went to the middle of all the children and then walked closer to the bowl of names and the lady. She took her spot on the stage an looked out over every one of District 2. She held her head high and sent good thoughts to get father. She looked toward the Capitol woman again, he hand was already in the boy's bowl.

Her hand snapped up, "Roman Kingsley."

Clove's head shot up, she searched the crowd for that green shirt and found it in the very front. Roman's lip quivered. He looked up at Clove who had a single tear run down her face.

The next words were music to Clove's ears, "I volunteer as tribute."

Her eyes followed the voice and then fell on the one person she would least like to be a tribute with.

Cato.

**Author's Note: Hey guys. Sorry for the short chapter, I promise the next one will be huge and long and lengthy. Thanks for reading! Like it, hate it, love it? Leave your comments in the review box. LOVE YOU.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six:**

**Talking **

Clove was pushed into the giant silver tube of a train. They had given her five minutes to say goodbye to anyone, but her father didn't come-like Clove had suspected. Now, sitting in the still train, she wished she had said more than the goodbye in the morning.

She glanced over to Cato, who was sitting on the opposite side of the train. He was staring at her, so she quickly looked away.

"It's Clove, right?" He asked, getting up and going to the seat by Clove. "Can I sit here?"

Clove nodded.

"Yes I can sit, or yes your name is Clove?" Cato chuckled.

Cove glare up at him; her eyes like stones, "Sit, before I change my mind."

Cato raised his eyebrows and sat down in the cushioned chair next to Clove. Clove just stared out the window and didn't look at him at all. Her mind went back to watching him during training. She'd often find herself staring at his intense muscles on his arms. She also remembered his sword throwing abilities. Then her mind wandered to when she found him with that blonde bimbo of a girl-what was her name? Clove didn't care,

"So…" Cato started.

Clove snapped her head towards him, "Look-you don't have to be nice to me. You don't have to start a conversation if you don't want to. We both know twenty four of us go in and only one comes out." She turned back to the window of the train.

"Whatever," Cato muttered and then got up and left the train car.

Clove didn't see him for the rest of the train ride.

…

"These are your rooms, so get comfortable, then in a few hours we'll get ready for the chariot rides," said Enobaria said with a smile.

Clove tried to smile back, but it was hard because Clove was looking at Enobaria's teeth, which were filed so they were sharp points. Gold glitter was permanently glued to the bottom of each tooth as well. Clove was only 4 when she saw her in the Games, but she remembered her. She remembered vividly Enobaria ripping out the throat of the other remaining tribute. Slowly killing her opponent, she had taken a knife and slit the smallest line on the boy's throat then, with no hands she tore the throat out of the poor boy. Clove shivered, and would definitely stay out of her name.

Lyme was with Enobaria. Clove stared at Lyme for a few seconds; Lyme was way prettier than Enobaria. Not only did Lyme have regular teeth, she had soft brown eyes that reminded Clove of her mother. Clove never saw Lyme in the Hunger Games, but it was obvious she won. Not because she was standing here today, but because she was built so well. Her upper arms were almost as big as her leg muscles.

Then Cato came into Clove's room along with Brutus. Brutus, who was extremely attractive for a 42 year old, was another mentor Clove didn't see in the Games because she wasn't born yet.

"Why does she get a window?" Cato asked Brutus.

Brutus hit Cato on the head with a firm slap and then said, "Suck it up, you pansy."

Cato rubbed his head, "I was just kidding, God."

Clove sat on the bed she'd be sleeping in for the next two weeks. Its sheets were softer than the ones she had at home and the pillows looked so comfy. Other than that, the room seemed pretty boring; peach colored walls, light brown carpet, a big window. The window wasn't that interesting because Clove and Cato were on the second floor due to their District.

After Enobaria, Lyme, and Brutus left, it was just me and Cato in my room. Clove was sitting on her bed, facing the window in the room. Cato sat by her.

There was an awkward few seconds but then Cato said, "You don't come off as a nice person."

"Aww, gee thanks."

He chuckled, "You know, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of you. I know that sounds weird, but your kind of unforgettable."

I smiled to myself, but didn't show it on my face, "To be completely honest, I'd kind of forgotten about you after you screwed that blonde."

Cato smirked, "Oh yeah, Samantha."

Clove furrowed her eye brows, "I…I don't think that was her name…"

Cato frowned, "Okay, here, I'll name off a few girls and you tell me when it hits you. Jeanine, Margo, Edith, Tisha, Zin, I think there was a Bre somewhere in there as well…"

Clove's mouth fell open, "Are these all the girls you've banged?"

Cato shook his head, "No, no, these are just the ones at the Center."

Clove scoffed, "You're a pig."

"Hey, but I _am_ good looking."

"Sure you are," Clove muttered.

"With my blue eyes and perfectly toned body?" Cato laughed.

"Your eyes aren't even that blue," Clove said.

"Oh, really. Look into them and tell me they're not blue."

Clove rolled her own eyes and then starred into Cato's. She had to admit-they _were_ pretty blue. She tried to speak, "Okay…fine, they are…blue," but Clove found her words to be slowly coming out of her mouth. She wasn't sure of them, like she usually was.

Cato tilted his head, keeping his eyes locked with Clove's and said, "Your eyes are okay too. Brown, I like that."

Clove blushed and finally broke the eye lock. She shook her head, "We're talking about eyes and we're entering the Hunger Games in two weeks."

"What else should we talk about? How we're going to kill the others off?" Cato asked laughing.

"Sure," Clove replied smiling.

"What is with you and being scary?"

"Not scary… I like the word sadistic better," Clove said with a sly smile on her face.

"That's kind of hot."

Clove rolled her eyes, "Apart from me being sadistic, why are you such a…" Clove was at a loss of words.

"God? Hottie? Player?"

"Such a douche," Clove ended, cutting Cato off.

Clove got up and left the room with Cato following her, "Aww, don't be like that babe."

"Don't call me babe," Clove snapped at Cato. Clove went out into the small living room that connected both rooms and then went out to the dining area too. Clove sat on the couch that was faced toward the television and Cato sat by her.

"Why don't you like people?" Cato asked Clove putting his chin on his hands that were perched on his knees.

"Why don't you stop asking questions?"

"Why don't you answer deep questions?"

Clove scoffed, "That wasn't deep, that was just annoying."

"How about I ask you three questions, only three, and you have to answer them-all three-truthfully."

"Will that get you shut up?" Clove asked.

"Yes," Cato said.

"Fine," Clove sighed, "Three questions, that's all you get."

Cato stood up, "I'm hungry."

"What happened to three questions?" Clove asked following Cato into the dining room when a plate of some sort of Capitol food sat.

Cato sat at the table and reached for the food, "I didn't say I would ask them now."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"I don't kid, honey," Cato smirked.

"The one boy I have to get stuck with in all of District 2…" Clove's voice trailed off.

The next few hours were kind of boring for Clove. She sat and watched Cato make and completely finish three sandwiches. After that, she went to her room and slept for two hours. She woke up with pillows being thrown at her by Cato.

"What are you doing?" Clove sleepily asked.

"Throwing pillows at your face," Cato replied.

"Go away! I was sleeping." Clove slumped back in her bed and closed her eyes.

"Sleeping Beauty, get up. It's time to get ready for that meet and greet thing."

Clove sat back up quickly, "The parade?"

"Sure," Cato said leaving, but not before throwing another pillow at Clove.

Clove moaned and got up, heading toward Enobaria, Lyme, and Brutus who were about to take her to the chariot rides.


End file.
